The present invention is generally directed to toner processes, and more specifically, to aggregation and coalescence or fusion of latex, colorant like pigment, dye, or mixtures thereof, and additive particles, such as known toner additives like charge additives, waxes, and surface additives of silica, metal oxides, metal salts of fatty acids, mixtures thereof, and the like. In embodiments, the present invention is directed to toner processes which provide toner compositions with, for example, a volume average diameter of from about 1 micron to about 20 microns, and preferably from about 2 microns to about 10 microns, and a narrow particle size distribution of, for example, from about 1.10 to about 1.35 as measured by the Coulter Counter method, without the need to resort to conventional pulverization and classification methods, and wherein washing of the toner permits the latex surfactant selected, which can be hydrolyzable, or cleavable, to thereby convert to a substantially inert form, or wherein the surfactant is converted to a form, which is easily removed from the toner, to provide a suitable toner triboelectrical charge, and wherein the removal of the surfactant selected is avoided and washing may not be needed, or wherein washing can be substantially reduced or eliminated. In important embodiments, the present invention relates to the stabilization of colorants, such as pigments, with cleavable nonionic surfactants, and which surfactants can be readily hydrolyzed by, for example, the addition of base to the surfactant in the pH range of from about 8 to about 13 into, or modified into water soluble components for simple washing thereof and removal from the toner generated. In embodiments, the present invention relates to the selection of colorant dispersions preferably containing cleavable surfactants of the formulas illustrated herein, or mixtures thereof, in emulsion/aggregation/coalescence processes, and wherein in embodiments such surfactants contain a phosphate ester linkage in the main chain. The resulting toners can be selected for known electrophotographic imaging and printing processes, including digital color processes.
The toners generated with the processes of the present invention are especially useful for imaging processes, especially xerographic processes, which preferably possess high, for example from about 92 to about 100 percent, toner transfer efficiency, such as those with a compact machine design without a cleaner or those that are designed to provide high quality colored images with excellent image resolution, acceptable signal-to-noise ratio, and image uniformity. Moreover, with the stabilized colorant dispersions there are preferably permitted after removal of the selected surfactant high stable toner triboelectrical charges, such as from about 20 to about 50 microcoulombs per gram as determined by the known Faraday Cage method, and which triboelectrical values are not substantially adversely effected at a relative humidity of from about 20 to about 80 percent.